Relay.



W. E. ROGERS.

RELAY.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 8, 1913.

1,190,588. Patented July 11, 1916.

IVITNESSIES: LVVEATOR. v

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WARREN E. ROGERS, 0F TRENTON, MICHIGAN.

RELAY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March s, 1913. I Serial No. 752,814..

To all whom it may concem:

Be it known that I, \VARREN E. Romans, a citizen of the United States, residing at Trenton, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Relays, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to electric relays, and more especially to that class thereof which is used to make and break an electric circuit including an alarm device, a bell, the relay being operated to perform its function by an electric current which may be considerably weaker in force than the circuit which is to be opened and close by the relay.

The invention has for its object the provision in connection with the armature o the relay, of a retarding device whereby the quick opening movement of the relay will be prevented, even if the current of the primary circuit should be intermittent or alternating in its nature.

This invention has been clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which similar characters denote similar parts, and in which- Figure 1 illustrates in diagrammatic form a system embodying a relay equippe with my invention, the relay being in its normal or inoperative position, and Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the relay in its circuit closing position.

Referring to the drawings, 10 denotes a magneto, whereby an electric current may be generated in a circuit comprising line wires 11, 12, and also an electromagnet 13, the core of which is adapted to attract the armature 14 of a lever 15which is pivoted at 16 on aframe indicated in a general way by 17. The other end of the lever 15 carconnected, by ais connected by a wire ries a contact member 18 which is made of resilient metal and insulated from the main body of the lever 15, by an insulating block or member 19.

.he contact member 18 is electrically flexible wire 20, with a source of electric energy, such as a battery 21', which constitutes part of a circuit operating an alarm device shown herein as a bell 22. The. other terminal of the bell 22 23, with a contact member 21 secured to the frame 17 but insula'ted therefrom, as for instance by a block 25, and it has a proyecting lip 26 adapted to such asposition shown in Fig. 2

' of the weight be engaged by the contact member 18 to close the bell circuit substantially in the manner shown in Fig. 2, where it will be seen that the flexibility or resiliency of the contact member 18 has permitted the armature is to be attracted into engagement with the core of the electromagnet.

Secured to spindle 16 of the armature lever 15, is a retarding device theparticular function of which is: to prevent release movement of the armature lever from the electromagnet 13 when the circuit of the magneto is momentarily interrupted or becomes intermittent or alternating in its nature. Under ordinary circumstances the resiliency of the contact member 18, when in the condition shown in Fig. 2, will be enough to rock the lever 15 sufliciently to give a momentum to said lever to fully disengage the same from the electromagnet 13, and in order to provide a certain member on the lever 15 with-the result in view, I have shown the retarding device as a weight 30 supported on a stem 31 which is rigidly secured to the spindle 16.

Referring to Fig. 1, it will be noted that the center of the weight 30 is disposed a short distance to the right of a vertical line through the axis of the spindle 16, so that, when the lever 15 has been tilted to the by the attractive force of the magnet 13, the Weight 30 will will be disposed at the left hand side of a vertical plane passing through the spindle 16, so that consequently the position of the weight alone would tend to maintain the lever 15 in the position shown in Fig. 2.

In the present instance this overbalance 3O partly reacts against the spring action of the resilient contact member 18 which has become slightly bent by virtue of its contact with the lip 26 above mentioned.

It will be understood that if for any reason the current in the primary or magneto circuit should become intermittent or alternating, the inertia of the weight will prevent any quick and immediate movement of the lever 15 away from the electromagnet 13, and even if there should be a slight trembling of the lever 15, the vibration of the contact member 18 is taken up or permitted to expend itself before it finally leaves the lip 28 and thus opens the secondary or bell circuit. This means; that the secondary circuit will remain closed as long as any current is passing through the primary circuit.

The particular purpose for which the device is used is totransmit the call-signal for the foreman or the assistant foreman of the yard to attend immediately to the telephone. When a telephone call is given, the foremen may be in different parts of the yard and since emergency calls which must be attended to immediately, which are not present instrument is a relay whereby the secondary circuit is placed into action whenever the primary or telephone circuit is completed. Now, inasmuch as the telephone circuit is an intermittent one, it is evident that in order to obtain the proper results, means should be provided whereby the make-and-break of this primary circuit may not influence or cause any interruption in the secondary or bell circuit. By the provision of a weight on the relay armature, the rapid vibration of this armature will be and is prevented, and the armature will not move to a position to open the secondary circuit unless the primary circuit is placed out of commission for a period exceeding two seconds in time. It should therefore be understood that as long as the primary circuit is rapidly intermittent, the armature of the relay will, owing to the inertia of the weight, respond to the rapid intermissions in this primary circuit, so that consequently the secondary circuit will remain closed notwithstanding the fact that the primary circuit is intermittent.

The operation of my im-proved device Will be understood from the above description and it is evident that changes may be made in the particular construction of the retarding member used in connection with the armature lever, as well as in its organization therewith, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim A relay comprising an armature pivoted intermediate its'ends, an electromagnet for moving one end of the same in one direction, a stationary contact member, a resilient circuit-closing contact blade carried by the other end of said armature and engaging said contact member and being tensioned thereby during the final portion of the armature movement as caused by said magnet, said blade also tending to move said armature in the opposite direction upon the deenergization of said magnet, and a weight carried by the armature normally on the side' of the pivot toward the contact and movable to the other side of said pivot, whereby when the force of said electromagnet is momentarily interrupted, the return and circuit-opening movement of said armature would be retarded.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WARREN E. ROGERS. Witnesses H. D. MACDONALD, CHAS. F. SCHMELZ. 

